Choices
by ArtemisJPotter
Summary: What if Theodora hadn't eaten the apple? What would've happened? Keep in mind that I haven't watched the film (read the novelization), so I may not include everything that was in the movie.
1. One

Through the crystal ball, Theodora watched as Oscar and Glinda welcomed the Quadlings. She tried not to cry as they waved to the crowd and exchanged smiles. They looked so happy together. Just like she had been with Oscar...

Theodora still couldn't believe all that had happened. It seemed like she had met Oscar just yesterday, had discovered that he was the Wizard to bring down the Wicked Witch, had fallen in love with Oscar, had her heart broken when she discovered that he was just toying with her emotions...

A tear ran down Theodora's cheek, just as Evanora entered the throne room. She rolled her eyes at the sight of Theodora lamenting. "What's the matter, sister?" she sighed.

"Look at how happy they are." Theodora gazed longingly at Oscar and Glinda. "Do you think she'll be his queen?"

"Of course she'll be his queen," Evanora answered, sounding very nonchalant. Theodora gasped, which prompted Evanora to go on. "Well, what did you expect? You can't compete with Glinda's charms. No one can."

More tears filled Theodora's eyes, causing her to cry out in anguish. "Oh, sister!" she sobbed. "It hurts!"

"It won't cease hurting, so get used to it!" Evanora replied flatly. "Such is a broken heart. Your precious Wizard did that to you!"

Evanora's words stung Theodora. Was her sister right? Was this all his fault? Was he the reason she felt as if she was melting, as if her heart was bleeding.

Theodora couldn't take the pain anymore. "Make it stop!" she begged.

Evanora stifled a smile at Theodora's plead. This was exactly what she had wanted. "I can help you, sister," Evanora said gently. "But you must help me in return."

Theodora looked up, her eyes as red as swollen as her heart. Feeling that her sister was on the verge of a breakdown, Evanora reached out her hand softly. "Come, sister," she said, leading Theodora into another room. Theodora slowly placed her hand in Evanora's.

Evanora had been anticipating this moment for a long time. Very soon, the Land of Oz would be hers once and for all. Fixing Theodora at a table in her sitting room, Evanora proceeded to work. She created a vial of potion and slowly began to spill its contents onto a smooth green apple, drop by drop.

When she was done, Evanora slowly placed the vial down and held up the apple for observation. "One bite is all it takes," she told Theodora. "One bite, and your world will change forever. One bite, and your heart will become impenetrable. One bite, and you and I will finally share the throne." Evanora paused. "Unless you'd rather see Oz and Glinda there," she added smugly.

Greedily, Theodora snatched the apple out of her sister's hand. She stared at longingly. It would be so easy to just eat it then and now, to get rid of the pain before it took over her completely-

But something stopped Theodora from biting into the apple. Examining the piece of fruit closer, she got a strange feeling that there was something just wrong with it. It was almost as if the apple was sealing a promise-a promise that would all too conveniently solve her problems. And somehow, Evanora's words disturbed her: "Your heart will become impenetrable." What did that mean, exactly?

Evanora glanced at her sister. "Sister," she began, trying to hide the impatience in her voice, "the sooner you eat the apple, the sooner the pain will go away."

Theodora looked from the apple to Evanora, still feeling conflicted. "What will the apple do to me?" she asked.

Evanora flashed an impatient glare but answered the question anyway."It will simply help with your heartbreak," she explained. "Soon you will never be able to feel nothing."

Theodora stared at her with wide eyes. "Nothing?" she gasped, a chill running down her spine. The statement was very unsettling.

"Of course!" Evanora snapped impatiently. _What is taking her so long? Just bite the apple!_

"If I feel nothing," Theodora began, her anxiety growing by the minute, "what will happen to my emotions? Will they disappear completely?"

Evanora felt her throat tighten but calmed down. "You'll be fine," she assured her. "Just eat it."

Theodora knew there was no use in pressing her sister further and started to bring the apple to her mouth again. But it barley made it up to her lips before she dropped it.

No. She couldn't eat it. She couldn't take that risk.

"I can't," Theodora said, shaking her head. "I can't do it."She felt all of the anxiety and confusion building up again and ran out of the room. She had to collect her thoughts.

Evanora screamed as Theodora ran across the hallway. She was onto the apple; she was on to her! What if she discovered her true intentions? What would she do then?

"No," Evanora told herself quickly, "it's not over yet." Letting out a breath, she calmed herself down. "She will come around." She glanced back to where her sister had fled.


	2. Two

Theodora stormed into her chambers and threw herself onto the bed. So many thoughts were swirling through her head, and none of them made sense. She had refused Evanora's offer-somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it was the right thing to do-but was it worth it? She still couldn't erase the image of Oscar and Glinda in the crystal ball. Oscar, who had danced with her and promised to make her queen, chose Glinda instead. What was he doing with that witch, anyway? The witch who had killed the king, had caused turmoil in Oz, and, now, broke Theodora's heart.

Theodora's sadness quickly turned into jealously. Of course he liked Glinda better. She was prettier than Theodora had ever been. Theodora was good-looking enough for him, but once he found Glinda he dumped her completely and went for the blonde witch. He never really cared about her, anyway; it was all about appearances, and certainly, Glinda's elegant, refined demeanor was more appealing that a witch filled with so much fire that the slightest bit of water would burn her skin-

Theodora slammed her fist against the mirror, shattering it completely. The anger was too much for her, and the worst part was that all of it was true. Theodora wasn't beautiful. Oscar had made her believe that she was, but he was just manipulating with her feelings. He used her just for the fun of it, and when he was done he left her to deal with the aching he had given to her heart...

Theodora felt pain grow in her chest as her thoughts filled with the Wizard. Why had he given her so much pain? Why couldn't she have stopped herself from falling for him? She had been foolish enough to think that he had actually loved her! Men didn't love witches, and if they did they went for the kinds like Glinda.

_But it was Oz's fault_, Theodora thought, her anger suddenly rising angrily._ He led me on. He even agreed with me when I said I'd be his queen!_ Suddenly, a burning sensation-the burning of fire-began to fill the heartbroken witch, but she managed to keep herself in check. She wasn't about to destroy anymore property in her room.

Taking a deep breath, Theodora tried to calm herself down. She had to get past all of this. The problem wasn't about her heart, as much as it ached. The problem was Glinda. Because-as much as she hated Glinda-the real issue about her was that she was a wicked witch. A murderer. She had committed a heinous crime, and now the Wizard who was supposed to save the land was falling head over heels for her! It was outrageous!

Was the chosen one conspiring against her? All of Oz? Or was he too mesmerized by Glinda's glow that he couldn't help himself? Theodora was starting to wonder is Glinda was just as manipulative as Oscar. Indeed, they both played off as charming, lovely people, when, in reality, they were the exact opposite.

Theodora sat still in front of her vanity, staring right into the reflection. Her heart was just like the mirror: broken, shattered, torn apart. _Why? _she wanted to ask him. _Why did you hurt me?_

Theodora's thoughts were eventually interrupted by a loud, shrieking noise. Worried that something was wrong, she rose out of her sinking thoughts and ran out the chamber. Following the trail of the noise, she marched towards the balcony. Evanora was standing there, looking down at the world below. Still in shock and fear of the noise, Theodora quickly approached her sister.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "What was that noise-"

Theodora soon got her answer; right below the castle stood a wall of fog. And, flying right above it, stood the vicious baboons.

"Oh no!" Theodora shrieked, cowering behind. "They're back! But how did they get to the Emerald City?"

Evanora flashes an alarmed look, turning from Theodora back to her army of monkeys. _Thi_s wasn't supposed to happen! This was not according to plan! Theodora should have eaten the apple now, thereby turning her into the heartless witch that would help her rule all of Oz! But now that plan was ruined-all because Theodora didn't eat the apple! The only reason she had sent the baboons down was because Oscar's army had approached. She had no choice, really, but now Theodora was about to ruin anything!

"It's obviously Glinda's," Evanora answered, regarding Theodora's question. Her hands were shaking nervously; she was afraid that Theodora would see right through her lies.

"I know that," Theodora said, a look of horror spreading over her face. "But how did she get here? Isn't she banished?"

"Well, she obviously got in somehow," Evanora snapped. What was she going to do with her sister now, now that the plan was ruined?

Theodora turned to her sister worriedly. "What do we do?" she cried. "We don't have an army!"

"I'll have to think of something," Evanora replied shortly, and she quickly left the balcony. Technically what she told her sister wasn't a lie-she really _did_ have to think of something! She couldn't control her baboons with Theodora in the room or else she'd get suspicious But then there was Oscar's family to deal with. She couldn't just let him get away! And somehow she'd have to get her sister to side with her. Evanora cursed under her breath as she continued striding throughout the castle. Things would have been so much easier if her sister had just eaten the stupid apple!

Evanora stopped walking and paced around the room, trying to figure out how to deal with the situation. Maybe she could still get her sister to eat the apple. After all, she still had to be heartbroken. What Oscar had done to her wouldn't just have dissapeared from her mind.

But now her focus was centered on the raging baboons now. Could she still convince her sister to take the vile fruit? Theodora was naive, but she wasn't stupid. She would question why Evanora thought a bite of an apple would be good at a moment like this. Even in Evanora's head the plan sounded stupid.

Still, it was worth a shot. What other choices did she have?

With that thought in mind, Evanora made her way back to the balcony. "Sister," she began, but her attention was immediately turned to the baboons. They seemed to be tearing at something-when Evanora looked more clearly, it looked like men. _Glinda's pathetic army of Munchkins,_ Evanora thought. _Well, my flying monkeys will surely turn them to shreds! _She began to laugh but quickly caught herself, aware that her sister was in the room.

Evanora stopped gloating, however, when she noticed something was wrong; as the fog began to spread, she could clearly see that the "army" of Glinda's were all scarecrows. It was a trick! Once the fog dissspaered completely, Evanora looked horridly at where Glinda had led the baboons to-the Poppy Field!

Evanora watched helplessly as she saw her army-her vicious, bloodthirsty army-began to fall into a deep, deep sleep. That must have been Glinda's plan-to create a fake army, hiding in the dangerous Poppy field, and then lead her monkeys there! It was devilishly clever, which just made Evanora even madder.

_Curse you, Glinda!_ Evanora screamed in her mind. _Curse you and your pathetic little army!_

Theodora, who was still confused by the whole thing "What's going on?" she wondered. "Why were those-those _creatures _attacking scarecrows?"

But Evanora didn't answer her. She had more importantly things to worry about. Running out of the room, she turned to the door and pushed herself out. Once she was further outside, she looked around viciously for Glinda. "Where are you, Glinda?" she demanded. "Show me your face, you pretty coward!"

A figure in white suddenly emerged from where the smoke had been. The Good Witch of the South narrowed her eyes when she saw that Evanora had found her.

"You and I have some unfinished business to take care of," she said in her soft, angelic voice. Evanora's eyes twisted into a wicked glare. "I AGREE!" Forming lighting around her hands. Evanora directed the energy towards Glinda, who barely had enough time to counter the attack.

As the Good and Wicked Witch fought, Theodora watched the battle from the balcony in confusion. She didn't trust Glinda anymore than her sister did, but why did Evanora look so malicious and Glinda look so innocent?

But Theodora saw something else that made her jaw drop. Evanora began calling upon band of baboons. Very soon, a flight of monkeys made their way towards the area and began attacking Glinda.

Theodora felt as if her head was spinning. Evanora, her sister, her own flesh and blood, was commanding an evil force after another witch. It shouldn't have made any sense, but she understood it all too well. The way Evanora had tried to pursue her to devour the apple, even when she told her that it would cease all her feelings, should have been enough of a warning sign.

_Is Evanora the real Wicked Witch? _Theodora wondered in horror. She hated the fact that she was questioning her own sister's agenda, but what else would explain didn't like the thought of questioning her own sister's alias, but why else would she be controlling the army of baboons? Why else would she had tried to convince her sister to let go of her heart and become a vicious, cruel monster?

But Theodora didn't want to believe it. Evanora had been her sister-_was_ her sister. She had guided her, advised her, loved her throughout her entire life. Evanora was the only person Theodora felt she could look up to.

But what about now?

Theodora's thoughts were once again interrupted by a strange noise. Turning around, she saw that a strange figure had approached the castle and was making its way towards the Room of Resplendence. Theodora teared away from the balcony and followed the figure into the room. Now that it had stopped moving, she could clearly see who the person was.

_The Wizard!_


	3. Three

Why was Oscar in the Room of Resplendence? Theodora watched, mystified, as Oscar began to gather up the gold into his satchel. He was taking it all to himself!

Suddenly Oscar's act reminded the torn witch of his greediness. It reminded her of how he had broken her heart. How he chose Glinda.

Confusion, anger, and sadness all filled Theodora's mind. It was too much for one person to take. Marching towards Oscar, the witch yanked his arm and gave him a hard glare. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her cheeks hot with anger.

Oscar jumped at the sound of another voice and turned around to see the speaker. When he realized who she was, he gasped. "Theodora!" He looked from his bag to Theodora, embarrassed that he had been caught in his greedy act. "I, uh...""Distantly he heard the raging war going on outside and looked, watching Glinda struggle against Evanora's evil forces. The baboons were tearing at her viciously, while Evanora herself was shooting several bolts of energy at the good witch.

Oscar suddenly felt guilt swell up in him. He had pretended to go along with his plan-a plan to defeat Evanora, when, in reality, he was leaving for good-but this was wrong. He couldn't just abandon Glinda, not after all they had been through. And he certainly couldn't like Evanora of all people rule over Oz.

But Oscar wasn't a wizard. He had no powers or special talent. What help could he be?

Theodora shook Oscar out of his thoughts by giving him a hard slap across the face. "Answer my question!" she demanded, her temper getting dangerously hot as the fire boiled in her body. "What are you doing here?"

Oscar was about to say something when Evanora suddenly spotted at him. Her eyes were full of hatred. "YOU!" she shouted, creating another source of energy around her hands. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ESCAPE!" Evanora casted the fully-charged electrical bolts right at the tower, merely missing Oscar by a few inches. She did, however, manage damage the exterior of the room, causing a large crack to surface.

Stunned, Theodora approached the giant gape Evanora had made and faced her sister. "What are you doing?" she shouted. "Why are you trying to kill him?"

"I gave you a choice, sister," Evanora sneered at Theodora. "Are you really going to defend the Wizard? After all he did to you?"

Theodora felt a sting in her chest but quickly pushed it aside. "What about you?" she demanded, remembering her sister's true revelations. "Why did you send the baboons after Glinda?" Tears started to make its way in her eyes. "You lied to me, Evanora. You lied to me and all of Oz!"

Evanora's face fell into a look of dispair; she had finally lost Theodora. "Fine," Evanora spat, anger soon surpassing her loss. "You want to be my enemy? Then go ahead!" She sent another line of electricity at the building.

Theodora instinctively called onto her own powers and used it as a shield against Evanora's. Shocked and angered that her attack had not worked, Evanora proceed to throw another attack at Theodora when Oscar suddenly pushed the good with to the ground. When Evanora's deadly attacked had passed over them, he stood back up and grabbed Theodora by the arm.

"Come on!" Oscar yelled, pulling the good witch up from the ground. He found an empty closet inside the room and ran inside, shutting the door. Theodora, who was still frustrated with Oscar, wanted to demand what he was doing, but she quickly went silent when she heard more electricity bang against the castle building.

"Where are you?" Evanora demanded, continuing to throw the attacks at the wall. "You can't hide from me forever, Oscar Diggs! I WILL FIND YOU!" Evanora charged a large amount of electricity and blasted it through the wall, finally breaking it open. Theodora held in her breath nervously as Evanora strode into the room, looking for both her and Oscar. "I know you're here!" Evanora shouted, pulling more electrical forces from her powers. "Don't hide from me, you coward! I will find you!"

For a long moment Theodora just stood in the closet, soundless and motionless and full of fear. Despite all of her anger towards her former flame, she glanced up at Oscar to confirm that he was just as scared as she was. Finally, Evanora stormed out of the room, obviously assuming that no one was there.

Once she was sure it was safe to go out, Theodora pushed open the closet door and walked out. She sank towards the ground, feeling as if she was drowning in water. How could it be that, earlier that day, she knew exactly what was going on and whom she could trust? Her world was being torn apart faster than the beat of her nervous heart.

Oscar eventually came out from the closet and slowly approached Theodora. He reached his hand out awkwardly to her but didn't touch her, as if he was deciding whether or not to comfort her. "Don't," Theodora said, answering Oscar's question. "Just leave me alone."

"But I can't," Oscar said softly, sitting down beside the heartbroken witch. "You're hurting now and-"He looked at her sadly. "I can't stand to see you like this, Theodora."

The softness of Oscar's words managed to get Theodora angry enough to rise from her depression. "Oh, so you care about me, huh?" she demanded. "What about when you left without telling me? What about when you decided to side with Glinda? What about Evanora?"

Theodora knew the last part had nothing to do with Oscar, but she couldn't help herself from spilling out all of her thoughts. She lost all of her composure and broke down crying; she didn't even care if anyone heard her. Oscar just sat there in silence as Theodora wept, not knowing how to help her.

Finally Theodora stopped and turned to Oscar, her eyes full of tears. "Evanora sent the flying monkeys after Glinda," she told him. "Is she-" She quickly cut herself off, too afraid to finish the question. She couldn't bear to say it.

Oscar, knowing what she was asking, nodded at her sadly. "Yes, Theodora," he said gently. "Evanora is the real Wicked Witch."

Theodora felt a terrible pain swell up inside of her. Somehow it was worse than discovering Oscar's love for Glinda. Her sister, the one she loved and trusted, had betrayed her. No, it wasn't a betrayal-that was when someone had worked with you and then committed treachery. Evanora was always the Wicked Witch. She had killed the king, pretended to act innocent, and even blamed Glinda for the crime.

Theodora shook her head. "I don't want to believe it," she told Oscar tearfully. "I don't want to believe that she was behind it all, when in my heart I know it's true."

"I know," Oscar lamented, touching the witch's hand comfortingly. The kind, gesture caused Theodora to snatch her arm back, replacing her sorrow expression with rage once again.

"Stop that!" Theodora snapped at Oscar. "Stop trying to pity me when you really don't!"

Oscar stared at her with confusion. How could she go from sadness from one minute to anger the next? "I do care about you, Theodora," Oscar began, not knowing what he had done to make her so vehement.

"Why would you care about me?" Theodora felt all the rage she had been holding in spill out again. "You never cared about me!"

"Why on earth would you think that?" Oscar asked, completely baffled.

"Don't play coy with me!" Theodora snapped. "Was it fun for you to play with my heart? Was I just someone for you to use?"

"What are you-"Oscar stopped midway in his sentence, realizing what she was talking about. Guilt filled his body like a ton of bricks, causing him to look at Theodora with remorseful eyes."I'm sorry," he said ruefully."I am so sorry, Theodora. I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did!" Theodora retorted. She wasn't going to forgive him so easily-not after all he had done to her! "Did you really love me, Oscar? Did you even mean anything you said the night we danced?"

Oscar stopped to honestly think about the question. "I really do think you are beautiful," he told her gently. "And the music box was a thank-you gift for all you had done for me." He smiled at her, hoping that she would soon calm down. "If it helps, you're the first girl I've ever given the music box to," he admitted.

Oscar's last sentence sent Theodora over the edge. "Don't lie to me!" she barked. "I saw what you give You gave another one to Glinda!"

"What?" Oscar was completely baffled by this. "Theodora, I just told you you were the only person I gave the music box to. Remember?"

"Stop lying to me, Oscar Diggs!" Theodora shouted at the top of her lungs. "I saw you give the music box to Glinda. Evanora showed me-"She suddenly stopped, remembering all that she had learned about Evanora. Did Oscar really give the music box to Glinda, or was her sister lying to her?

_No, _Theodora thought may have been wicked, but Oscar wasn't any different. He was the reason she had almost taken the apple!

Oscar, knowing that he would have a hard time making up for his mistake, began to speak again. "I never had another music box, Theodora. Just one." He looked her straight in the eyes. "It wouldn't have made much sense for me to carry more than one music box-where did you think I'd find random women to seduce while I was journeying a ballon?"

Theodora opened her mouth to retort but couldn't say anything. It _didn't_ make sense, when she stopped to think about it. But how could Oscar-the same man who had broken her heart-be telling the truth?

"Evanora obviously lied to you," Oscar went on, glad that she seemed to be even-tempered now. "She probably created the illusion so that you wouldn't trust me anymore."

"You already did that," Theodora spat, her again returning once more. "You said we would be together and then left me for Glinda! You broke my heart!" Tears began to make its way into her eyes. "You made me lose trust in you, Oscar! Evanora just used it to her advantage," she added bitterly.

Theodora's words broke into Oscar, making him realize the full consequences his actions had taken on. "I know, Theodora. I made a _horrible _mistake. I should have never led you on when I had no intentions of taking our relationship further." He sighed, feeling a wave of regret like no other. "I know I'm not a good person," he added, "and you certainly deserve someone much, much better than me, but...I hope you can forgive me for my foolish mistakes-you are a much better person that I even hope to be."

Theodora found herself surprisingly touched by his words. They were so soft, so genuine so spoken right from the heart. _But does he really mean it? _the witch wondered uncertainly. She had so many revelations that day that it was hard to distinguish the truth from the lies.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Theodora said cautiously. She was not about to let her heart get broken again; never again would she feel that kind of pain.

Before Oscar could answer, however, there was a sudden scream from afar. He and Theodora both turned around and suddenly heard someone open the palace doors. Running back towards the closet, Oscar and Theodora heard the sound of footsteps marching into the palace.

"You will never win!" a soft voice shouted; it sounded very familiar. Theodora quickly recognized it as Glinda's and didn't know what to make of that.

Another voice-the sound of evil-laughed wickedly at the witch's comment. "Oh, I think I already have," Evanora sneered cruelly. "As soon as I find my sister and that pathetic excuse for a wizard, all of Oz will be mine." She paused. "Lock Glinda up in the cellar!" she yelled; Theodora assumed it was to the flying monkeys. Indeed, a group of screeches followed after Evanora's commanded and started flapping through the castle. Soon the voices became distant, until Theodora and Oscar could no longer her their voices.

Oscar pushed the closet door open again and let out a breath. Theodora followed him, feeling dazed once more. "They have Glinda," Oscar said, stating the obvious. "We have to get her back somehow." He stuck his knuckles into his mouth, thinking hard.

Theodora didn't understand why he seemed at a loss for plans. "You're the Wizard," she reminded him. "Your magic should be strong enough to save her."

Oscar shifted uncomfortably. "About that," he began, awkwardly. He stared down at the ground, as if it suddenly became more interesting. "I'm not exactly what you would call a wizard..."

Theodora just stared at Oscar. "I know_ that's_ a lie," she retaliated. But Oscar shook his head. "It's the truth, Theodora. That is certainly nothing I would lie about."

Theodora looked into Oscar's eyes. He didn't look as if he was lying; in fact, he looked as if he was telling the truth! Angered by this, Theodora shot,"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well..."Oscar stretched out the word longer than they needed to be before going on. "I don't have magic, and I'm pretty sure _pretending_ like I do doesn't qualify as a wizard."

Theodora crossed her arms angrily at him. "Another lie?" she demanded, not being able to help herself."You must be allergic to the truth or something, Oscar!" she snapped. "How could you lie to an entire kingdom of people? We believed in you!"

Oscar cringed; it seemed the truth brought more guilt on him. "I know, I know," he said quickly, wanting to defend his actions but not being able to. "I'm sorry, Theodora." His face suddenly lit up. "But I have an idea," he told her. "It's the one I was going to do, actually, and it _should_ still work."

In spite of her exasperation with Oscar, Theodora raised her eyebrows curiously. "What is it?" she asked with much suspicion in her voice.

"You're going to have to trust me on this," Oscar insisted. "Evanora could very well be torturing Glinda right now."

Theodora suddenly remembered Glinda and nodded."Right," she agreed. She was still mad at him, but that could wait. There was much more at stake now.


	4. Four

Oscar pulled Theodora into another room, one she had been familiar with. There was something different about it, however; for one, a giant contraption of was standing in the center of the room. Beside it stood several munchkins and a familiar winged monkey. They all stared at Oscar with shock written over their faces.

Knuck had told the others that Oscar had planned to abandon him-he had asked for the Master Tinker to build him a hot-air balloon-but of course, Oscar had changed his mind and decided to stick to their plan to defeat Evanora.

"You!" Finley exclaimed, his eyes widening in shocked. "I thought you had abandoned us!"

Oscar grinned his signature smile. "You really think I could leave you? Not a chance!"

Smiling at Oscar's remark, Theodora turned her attention back to the strange device. "What is this?" she asked.

Oscar looked in Theodora's direction. "That," he said presentably, "is a projector. It's our secret weapon against Evanora."

Theodora was still confused. "What does it do?" she pressed. She had never seen anything like it in her life.

A mysterious grin spread across Oscar's face. "You'll see." He glanced at the Master Tinker and gestured towards the machine. "Start this thing up," he commanded.

Nodding, the Master Tinker obeyed Oscar's command and switched on the device. In a mere matter of seconds, a hologram of Oscar was projected right outside the castle. It was almost an exact replica of him; the only difference was that it only contained his head. In a way he looked more intimidating, with just his face floating in midair.

Theodora couldn't help but grin to herself. Oscar may have not been a real wizard, but she had to admit that it was devilishly clever.

Oscar reached towards the contraption. He pulled out a microphone and winked at Theodora. "Watch this," he whispered, and then he began speaking into the mic. "FOOLISH WITCH! YOU CAME HERE TO DEFY THE GREAT AND POWERFUL WIZARD?"

Evanora, who was in the cellar with Glinda, turned around in shock. "Who is this?" she demanded. She glimpsed out the window and saw the image of Oscar's head. Her eyes widened in shock. "What happened to you?" she roared, running out to the open sky.

"I HAVE TAKEN ON MY TRUE FORM!" Oscar declared. "NOW I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER!"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Evanora shouted, getting over Oscar's new terrifying appearance. She created a wave of lightning and fired it towards the hologram.

Oscar's laughter boomed as the lighting soared right through his "head". "YOU DARE TAKE ON ME? "YOU CANNOT KILL ME! I AM IMMORTAL!"

Evanora's eyes burned at Oscar's holographic. "I WILL KILL YOU!" she screamed, flicking a hand towards him. A group of winged monkeys suddenly flew towards the hologram. The screamed and ripped and pecked at it, but the image didn't break.

"GIVE UP!" Oscar shouted. "YOU CANNOT WIN AGAINST ME!"

Screaming in rage, Evanora gathered as much energy as she could and threw it all at Oscar. It soared past it harmlessly, causing him to laugh in glee.

"I ALREADY WARNED YOU, SIMPLETON!" Oscar bellowed at the Wicked Witch. "NOW, YOU WILL PAY!"

All of a sudden, a series of sparks flew out into the sky. Evanora gaped and cowered back from them, afraid of what they might do to her.

Theodora, who was just as unfamiliar with Oscar's form of attack, asked,"What are those?"

"Those are fireworks," Oscar answered. "They're beautiful, but hardly lethal." He smirked mischievously. "But Evanora doesn't know that."

Another chain of fireworks shot into the sky, causing Evanora to retreat in the castle. Oscar put the microphone down, his voice thundering with laugher.

Turning back to the others, Oscar beamed. "Good show, guys!" he applauded. "Looks like our work here is done."

Everyone started clapping-even Theodora. When it began to die down Oscar pulled Theodora to the side. "I need you to find Glinda," he told her.

"I know where the cellar is," Theodora answered. She started to take off, but Oscar suddenly grabbed her by the arm. "Be careful," he warned. "Evanora's still out there."

"I will," Theodora said with a nod. She took one last glance at Oscar before leaving the room


	5. Five

Theodora went through several flights of hallways before finding Glinda. She was locked up behind metal bars. Right below it laid Glinda's wand and the key.

Bending over to pick them both up. Theodora inserted the key into the hole and clicked it open. Glinda stepped out slowly, looking at her rescuer wide eyes.

"Theodora," she whispered, seemingly at a loss of words. She knew how much pressure she must have had after all she had discovered, but there was also so much at state. By the way she had freed her, too, Glinda could tell that Theodora knew what was at stake now.

Theodora handed Glinda her wand. "Do you know where Evanora went?" she asked urgently.

"I'm right here." Theodora and Glinda turned around and saw Evanora entered the room. Her eyes were filled with ferocity.

"You!" she shouted, gesturing towards her sister. "You...have ruined...EVERYTHING!"

Evanora suddenly shot a stream of electricity at Theodora, causing the unprepared witch to fall to ground.

Gasping, Glinda rushed to Theodora's aid and stared down at Evanora. "What happened to you, Evanora?" she asked sadly. "You've let your greed get so far that you attacked your own sister."

"She's not my sister anymore," Evanora said coldly.

Theodora's tatic had worked. Evanora, shocked by her sister's sudden attack, lost her concentration on Glinda. Glinda used this opportunity to shoot a full-blown attack on Evanora. The evil witch fell backwards, landing on the ground.

Glinda and Theodora lowered themselves as they approached Evanora.

"Give up, Evanora," Glinda said to the witch. "Everyone knows who you really are now."

Evanora turned to Theodora with pleading eyes. "Please, sister!" she begged. "Don't listen to Glinda! She and Oz have conspired against you!"

"You've lied to me too many times," Theodora said firmly. "I trusted you, Evanora. I stood by your side all these years." She shook her head sadly. "But you crossed the line." Theodora pointed her wand at Evanora. "Surrender now and the consequences will not be so severe."

Evanora suddenly realized Theodora would not side with her and her face changed from pleading to angry. "NEVER!" the Wicked Witch shouted.

Suddenly, Evanora struck her wand, causing more lightning to fly out. It slammed into Theodora's chest, sending her flying to the ground.

"Foolish girl," Evanora sneered at her sister. "You should have sided with me when you had the chance." She turned to Glinda, who had rushed to Theodora's aid. "And as for you!" she shouted at the, shooting her wand towards Glinda, "YOU WILL DIE!"

Glinda saw the attack coming and deflected it with her own magic. The two energy forces slammed into each other, both forces trying to overpower the other. Glinda found herself struggling against Evanora's power; the Wicked Witch seemed to have more power. Glinda may have been holding up, but she could feel the power draining from her, her energy dying down.

Evanora smiled wickedly at Glinda, her magic overpowering Glinda's. "Power!" Evanora cackled. "Unlimited power!"

With a thrust Evanora forced the lightning as hard as she could against Glinda's magic. The force was enough to knock Glinda off her feet and onto the ground. Glinda tried to push herself back up, but she was too weak. Evanora had wiped all of the energy from her.

Theodora, who was still on the ground, watched in shock as her sister approached Glinda. "Poor Glinda," Evanora sighed, feigning sympathy. "Looks like you couldn't win this battle."

"You...won't...win..." Theodora suddenly got back on her feet, struggling to keep herself up.

Evanora just laughed at Theodora. "Oh, sister," she sneered, stepping away from Glinda to face her, "Don't you get it? Good will never win." She formed a line of lightning around her fingers. "Evil is much more stronger. There's nothing holding you back from using your full powers."

"You're wrong," Theodora shot, managing to get enough energy to form her own magic. "Evil will always lose."

Evanora smirked at her. "We'll see," she whispered, and in a mere matter of seconds Evanora's lightning aimed straight at Theodora. But the younger witch was prepared for the attack; she used her own fiery magic to redirect Evanora's attack. The lightning swiveled over to the side, slamming right into the wall instead.

Evanora's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly recovered and narrowed her eyes at Theodora. "You will regret this," Evanora snapped, and she soon sent several streams of lightning at Theodora. Theodora managed to dodge most of them, but Evanora continued to conjure more. Eventually Evanora's powers were too strong for the younger sister and knocked her off her feet.

Evanora glared at her sister as she stepped towards her. "You fool," she spat. "You cannot win against me! I will always be more powerful than you!"

Theodora was still weak, but she managed to push herself back up. "No," she breathed. "I will defeat you if it's the last thing I do!" Suddenly the witch grabbed at Evanora's wand and tried to take it. Without her wand, Evanora was powerless.

Evanora realized what Theodora was doing and gripped on her wand tight. "Stop it!" she growled, trying to push Theodora away from her. But Theodora wouldn't let go.

For a brief moment the two sisters struggled there, lost in a battle of tug-of-war. Then Theodora, reaching out farther to get Evanora's wand, accidentally grabbed her pendant instead. The beautiful necklace fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Theodora reached out as far as she could and accidentally pulled Evanora's pendant. Evanora pushed Theodora and backed away, looking at her sister in horror.

Evanora suddenly backed away, her body shaking in horror. "No!" she screamed. "Look what you've done!"

Suddenly, Evanora's youthful features were gone. Wrinkles began to form on the witch's once smooth skin, hands, and legs; her posture became weaker. Before Theodora knew it, Evanora had fallen to the ground and changed into an old hag.

Theodora, gasping at her sister, just stared at her. "That's your true form," she breathed, not believing what she was seeing.

Evanora glowered at her sister. "You ruined me!" she shouted. "You ruined my plan! You ruined everything!"

"No." A voice suddenly spoke up, causing both Theodora and Evanora to turn around. Glinda had gotten back to her feet and approached Evanora very slowly. She narrowed her eyes at the Wicked Witch.

"Your youthful appearance was fake, just like everything else you've done," Glinda said simply. "Now everyone will see you for who you really are." Her features suddenly became serious. "Evanora, you are banished from the kingdom forever!" Glinda declared.

Suddenly, the windows made a shattering noise. Theodora and Glinda both turned to see more of Evanora's flying monkeys fly inside. The good witches ducked, but the monkeys were not headed for them. They turned around to Evanora and dragged their master towards the brokenwindows. "THIS IS NOT OVER, GLINDA!" Evanora shouted as she was being hauled out. "I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!" Her threats became faint as she was taken away from the castle.

Glinda sighed at Evanora's depature and turned to Theodora. "Thank you for helping me," she said slowly. She frowned "I know you thought I was the wicked one," she began, "and I know this must be hard for you-"

But Theodora put a hand up to stop Glinda from going on. "It's okay," she assured the good witch. "Deep down, I always knew Evanora evil. I guess I never wanted to admit it to myself." Her shoulders fell as guilt suddenly filled her. "I'm so sorry I believed her, Glinda," Theodora lamented. "I should have known you would have turned against your father's own kingdom.

Glinda put a confronting hand on Theodora's shoulder. "It's alright," she said with forgiving eyes." Evanora had the whole Emerald City fooled." Glinda smiled softly. "Come on. Let's go find the Wizard."


	6. Six

Glinda and Theodora soon found themselves back with Oscar and his companions. When Oscar saw Glinda, he ran up to embrace her. Theodora found herself smiling as she watched the two of them hug. They obviously cared about each other, whether it was romantic love or not. And she was perfectly fine with that.

"I was so worried about you," Glinda whispered to Oscar, breaking out of the embrace. "I thought you had abandoned us."

"I was going to," Oscar admitted," but I could never forgive myself." He suddenly smirked. "Besides, that wouldn't make me much of a wizard, now would it?"

Glinda smiled compassionately at Oscat. "You have the true heart of the leader," she declared. "You will be the best king ever since my father."

"Well, it wasn't just me," Oscar insisted, gesturing towards his companions. "I couldn't have done it by myself. Which reminds me," he added, a smirk playing across his face, "I have some gifts for everyone!"

Theodora watched, smiling, as Oscar handed a gift to each person. After they had gotten their gifts, they left the room, one by one.

When he had gone through everyone but the two witches, Oscar turned to Glinda with solemn eyes.

"You always believed in me," Oscar told her. "You never gave up on me, and I can never thank you enough." He took a slight pause. "Now I know this is a lot to ask for," he began, falling to one knee, "and I know we haven't known each other for long, but Glinda, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Glinda smiled brightly at Oscar. She took a glance at Theodora, who grinned back at her, and turned back to Oscar. "Of course I'll marry you, Oz," she said delightedly.

"Please, call me Oscar," Oscar insisted. "It's my real name, after all." He smiled at Glinda before turning to Theodora.

"Theodora," Oscar began, looking at her with serious eyes, "I know I don't have much to offer for you. But I feel like I must give you something." He took a small pause before going on. "You have to be one of the most faithful people I have ever met. You were there for me, even when I had abandoned you. You helped me save the kingdom, and you fought your own sister despite the obvious repercussions. And for that, you hold a special place in my heart."

Theodora felt her eyes tearing up, but wiped them away as Oscar continued to speak to her. "I would like for you to become my advisor, Theodora," the Wizard proposed. "Now, I know it's not that much, and I won't be mad if you reject the offer-"

Theodora suddenly threw her arms over Oscar and gave him a hug. "Oh, Oscar," she gasped, forgetting to fight back her tears. "Of course I'll be your advisor. I'd be honored."

Oscar found himself laughing as Theodora continued to hug him. "I had no idea my gift was so special to you," he admitted.

Theodora smiled and pulled herself out of the hug. "Anything I receive from you is special, Oscar," she told him. "Glinda is right; you do have the true heart of a leader." She gave him a compassionate look. "I think you really _are_ the Wizard that was prophesied," she expressed.

Oscar looked shocked. "How could that be?" he asked in disbelief. "I don't have any magic, Theodora. "You know that."

Theodora, still smiling, held Oscar's hands in hers as she looked up at him. "The prophecy never said you would have what we considered magic," she reminded him. "What you did-creating that fake army, the fireworks-that was magic in your own way. It's even more special, because you had to create it on your own."

Oscar felt a warm sensation run through his body. "Looks like I pick my assistants well," he said with a hint of smugness. Theodora and Glinda just rolled their eyes at his joke.

"Maybe it's a good thing I'll be living with you," Glinda said, stepping over to Oscar. "That will give someone to make sure your head doesn't get any bigger than it already is."

Oscar pretend to roll his eyes at Glinda. "You're not the boss of me, Glinda," he said, feigning irritation.

"I could be," Glinda challenged, a gleam running in her eyes. "I am a witch, after all. I'm very powerful."

"I am the king, Glinda," Oscar pointed out. "Besides, I'm not scared of you."

"Well, you should be," Glinda warned. Oscar raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really? And why is that?'

Glinda let out a laugh. "Who's to say that I'm really a good witch?" she challenged.

Theodora smiled at Oscar and Glinda's flirtatious banter. "Maybe I should leave you two alone," she said, turning to go the other way. "I wouldn't want to disturb this, beautiful moment." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but always admiration. They seemed to really enjoy each other's company.

"Are you sure?" Glinda asked, turning to face her. "We're not bothering you, are we, Theodora?" She looked worried.

Theodora shook her head. "No, your Majesty," she said with a wink. "I just thought you would enjoy some privacy."

Oscar smiled at Theodora. "See?" he said, looking from her to Glinda. "Don't I pick my advisors well?"

Theodora saw Glinda jab Oscar in the elbow as she left the room. She smiled to herself as she thought of the newly engaged couple together.

Though it pained Theodora to think of Oscar not loving her, there was a large part of her that was happy. She had never seen a couple so happy before, and she was happy because of that. Deep down, she knew that Oscar and Glinda were meant for each other.

And that was good enough for her.


End file.
